How Dasher Pay Works

Dasher Pay Model

When do Dashers get paid?

Dasher Pay Model

We know that Dashers have a lot of choices, which is why we’ve created a pay model that is designed to make earnings fair and transparent for any work done through the DoorDash platform. Below is more detailed information about how earnings work.

Base Pay

Base pay is DoorDash’s base contribution for each offer. This will range from $2-10+ when a Dasher chooses to earn per offer, depending on the estimated time, distance, and desirability of the offer. Offers that include deliveries or tasks that require Dashers to travel a longer distance, that are expected to take more time, and that are less popular with Dashers will have a higher base pay. Base pay will not change based on the customer tip amount.  For information about how base pay works when Dashers earn by time, see here.

Promotions

Promotions are additional pay for offers that meet certain conditions -- giving Dashers an opportunity to earn even more. They can vary between Dashers based on factors like how new they are to the platform, and also based on other factors like location and time of day. Here are some examples:

• Peak Pay: When Peak Pay is in effect, select Dashers can earn extra money on each offer. Peak Pay earnings will be added to the total earnings shown when a Dasher receives an offer. More information about Peak Pay can be found here.

• Challenges: Challenges are incentives that let a Dasher earn extra money for completing a certain number of deliveries in a set amount of time while also meeting any other applicable qualifications included in the challenge offer.  Challenge offers can usually be found in the Dasher app, though in some cases may be offered via email, SMS, or push notification.

• Delivery Streaks: Delivery Streaks allow Dashers to earn extra money by accepting and completing offers consecutively while on a dash when the promotion is in effect. More information about this promotion can be found here.

Tips

When using DoorDash, customers can generally choose to leave a tip when they check out or after the delivery is completed. 100% of tips received by DoorDash will continue to go to the Dasher on top of base pay and promotions. The amount DoorDash pays in base pay and promotions will never vary based on the tip amount. For example, for a delivery where a Dasher would be paid $6 in base pay, if the customer adds a $5 tip the Dasher would now be paid $11.

If a customer adds a post-checkout tip on any previous order, the Dasher will receive a notification that they’ve received an additional tip and can find an updated earnings breakdown for that order in their Dasher app’s earnings tab.

In some cases, customers place orders through merchants directly and are not given the option to provide a tip on their order. This does not mean the customer chose not to leave a tip–it means they were not given the opportunity to leave a tip when they placed their order.

Acceptance Screen

To ensure that every Dasher on the platform continues to be treated fairly and has access to consistent earnings, the offer amount Dashers see on the acceptance screen will be the minimum guaranteed amount that they will earn for the deliveries or tasks included in the offer. Total earnings upon the completion of the offer may be greater than that guarantee, and Dashers see that reflected immediately in their earnings upon completion.

Australia Fuel Price Relief Program

To help Dashers in Australia recover the increased costs of fuel caused by conflict in the Middle East, DoorDash is adding an additional amount to base pay for each offer when fuel costs are abnormally high.

Specifically, we’ll review fuel prices on a fortnightly basis and will adjust base pay accordingly to ensure Dashers recover any increased costs of fuel compared to costs before the conflict began.

How this works:

• Every fortnight, we'll assess the state capital average fuel price using data from the Australian Institute of Petroleum.

• If fuel costs have risen above the baseline from 6 March 2026, base pay in Australia will be adjusted to reflect the difference.*

• This adjustment will continue for as long as fuel prices remain elevated above that baseline and the applicable order remains in effect from the Fair Work Commission.

* DoorDash will calculate a Dasher's estimated increased cost of fuel based on an averaging of the petrol fuel prices in the Dasher's state capital for that fortnight compared to the 6 March 2026 baseline, the kilometres driven by the Dasher in that fortnight, and estimated average fuel consumption.

When do Dashers get paid?

Dashers have a variety of payout options available to them. How and when Dashers get paid depends on their chosen payout method and certain eligibility requirements. Read more about each option below.

• Weekly Direct Deposit

Through Direct Deposit, Dashers get paid on a weekly basis for all deliveries or tasks completed between Monday - Sunday of the previous week (ending Sunday at midnight). Payments are transferred at that time directly to a bank account with a 2-3 day processing period and usually appear by Wednesday night.

• Fast Pay

Fast Pay gives most Dashers who receive their earnings weekly through direct deposit the ability to cash out their earnings daily.

In the US and Canada, there is a fee to use Fast Pay. In Australia, Dashers can use Fast Pay with no fee. Fast Pay is not currently available in New Zealand.

Note that Dashers must have a debit card - not a prepaid card - associated with their Dasher account in order to use Fast Pay.

Learn more and see the applicable terms and eligibility restrictions for Fast Pay in the US and Canada here. Learn more and see the applicable terms and eligibility restrictions for Fast Pay in Australia here.

• DasherDirect 

DasherDirect Business Prepaid Visa Card is a prepaid debit card exclusively for Dashers in the US that offers instant, no-fee deposits after every dash. With DasherDirect, Dashers will  also get access to certain benefits such as cash back on gas and access to a network of no fee ATMs. Benefits may vary, see the DasherDirect page for the latest benefit offerings. Learn more about DasherDirect here.

• Cash on Delivery

Dashers may also have the opportunity to receive Cash on Delivery orders where they will collect cash payment from the customer. The cash amount received, excluding tip, will be deducted from the Dasher’s next payout. Learn more about Cash on Delivery here.